As a method for producing a porous ceramic, a method for utilizing a raw material where a ceramic aggregate itself is porous, and a method for mixing a foaming agent with a ceramic raw material have been known. There are problems in that in the former method, flexibility of design is less due to restriction of the raw materials whereas in the latter method, it is difficult to control properties of a pore amount and a pore size with good reproducibility. To solve those problems, a method have been known in which a water absorbent polymer which previously has absorbed water and has been swollen is used as a pore-forming agent and is added to a ceramic raw material and is kneaded, then the resulting mixture is molded into a certain shape, and subsequently dried or baked (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 62-212274, 8-73282, 10-167856 and 10-245278).